Cibola

Cibola
Total Area:	11,384,158.59 km²
Area of major landmass:	{{{area_landmass}}} km²
Population:	120
Date founded:	{{{date_founded}}}
Countries:	5
Dependencies:	{{{dependencies}}}
Languages:	English, Shirithian, Syriac, Dutch
Largest Cities:	Geneva Matbaa

Cibola is a continent on Micras.

Origins and Etymology

Cibola was added, along with several smaller islands, in Series Seven as part of Ryan Caruso's plan to expand available land area. Its existence is controversial, but because of its importance to the many countries inhabiting it, it was never seriously in danger of being removed like some other islands. The name Cibola comes from the legends of Seven Cities of Gold founded by Spanish bishops in Western North America, and other areas around the continent are also named after legendary American riches, for example the island of El Dorado.

Geography

Cibola has a strange shape best interpreted as half of a crater. The coast is roughly circular, but briefly broken in the west by a narrow straight leading to a large inland bay with three islands inside. In the center, surrounding the bay, are a circular range of mountains looking like a crater rim, again broken to the west. The area outside these mountains slopes gradually down to a ring of plains that form the continent's most habitable area, especially in its easternmost portions. The north of Cibola is partly desert, and the south is partly tundra. Cibola's tallest peak is Mt. Julia, 4856 m high.

History

As soon as Cibola was created ab nihilo in an ill-conceived act of cartographic inconsistency, the east was claimed by a few countries including San Martin, Alexandria, and Storjord, of which the former two survived and became somewhat influential. The west, around the bay and islands, was originally the domain of a few Germanic-themed countries like Treisenberg. Of these, Alexandria long outlasted the other, and dominates the continent today. Matbaa also had a large presence on Cibola for several years. Today, Cibola includes Alexandria, Germania, and Adrasia as well as colonies of Stormark, Batavia, and Craiteland.